Deductive Reasoning
by Damonficgirl
Summary: Nathan has a problem he hasn't even noticed and Audrey is going to get to the bottom of it.
1. Chapter 1

**Deductive Reasoning**

**D/C – not my characters, some spoilers for season 1 but not season 2 though that's when I'd set this.**

As Audrey settled into the passenger seat of Nathan's big blue truck she noticed him click his neck from side to side before he reversed.

"Your neck playing up? I thought that would be an advantage of your condition," she tried to keep her tone light but she was a little worried, it was moments like this when she realised that in some ways she was used to thinking of Nathan as superhuman, he never complained so it was easy to think that his not feeling pain meant he didn't get hurt.

"It's nothing, just a little stiff," Nathan blew it off.

Audrey nodded and left it at that, "So what did the witness say exactly?" he asked drawing his attention back to the case.

Later at the scene, she noticed him absently press his right hand against his lower back as they were talking to a witness. Audrey didn't say anything but she frowned and made a mental note of it.

At the station that evening, when it was already an hour past the send of their shift and he was still doing paperwork, she brought him a cup of coffee and noticed his left hand was rubbing his neck as he read. She passed him the coffee and his blue eyes flashed up from the file and his freehand hand dropped from his neck as he smiled and said, "Thanks, what time is it?"

"Time for either a late dinner or a really early breakfast?" Audrey suggested sardonically.

"You should go home," Nathan said pointedly.

"Like you're one to talk," she returned and then, after a moment of deductive reasoning, "Hey chief, when was the last time you bought a new bed?"

Nathan looked at her with confusion. "How about never? This is Haven, everything's an antique, its part of our New England charm," he reasoned batting his eyelids sarcastically.

"Okay, but what about the mattress? Those things aren't meant to last forever; just because you don't feel how uncomfortable it is doesn't mean it isn't doing you any damage. I've noticed you Nathan, something is going on. You've been rubbing your back and your neck all day and I actually saw you slouching earlier, you never slouch."

"Dr Watson, I think you might be on to something but when do I have time to look for a new mattress?"

"Make time, I'll go with you if you like, not that I'll be much help."

"Sounds great Parker, but isn't that a bit above and beyond the call of duty, even for you?"

"We'll go on our day off, you can buy me lunch," Audrey smiled.

"Sure," Nathan smiled. "It's a - - plan," his tongue stumbled over the last word, he'd almost said "date," he wanted to say "date" but this was just a friendly outing, when he took Audrey out on a "date" he wanted it to be a real "date" with nice clothes and candlelight, he wanted her to know she was going on a date, he wasn't going to blindside her just because she was such a caring, considerate co-worker. A considerate co-worker who was going to come with him to look at beds, _which is perfectly innocent in the circumstances, _Nathan reminded himself.

"Great," Audrey smiled. "I could pick up a few things in town anyway."

"Yeah, good. Um, so you're right I need to call it a night, this can wait. You want to get a drink at The Gull?"

"Nah, I think I'll just head up to bed but if you want to give me a lift I wouldn't complain, I got a lift into town with Duke this morning."

"No worries, I'll just grab my coat," Nathan offered. "Thanks for the coffee Parker."

"Hey I had to keep you awake so I could bludge a lift," she smiled.

The banter continued as they headed out of the station.

_**A/N: I really wanted to write a fanfic where Audrey offered Nathan a massage but somehow I just couldn't get them there, there are so many boundaries up between them – especially physical ones, but instead I got this which is much more angsty but a little bit more them and I'm now envisaging a sequel fic where they go mattress shopping together, I think that would be super cute. **_


	2. Chapter 2

**Uncertain Motives**

Parker lent towards the small mirror in her room at the Gull and smoothed her fitted white t-shirt over the top of her baby-blue jeans. It was a simple not-going-to-work not-going-on-a-date outfit, she hoped the pair of dangly gold earrings she'd slipped in and the more-than-normal-for-work-but-still-not-garish-in-daytime amount of makeup she'd carefully applied gave the effect of dressing it up without overdoing it.

"What am I trying so hard?" Audrey asked herself and then realised she was talking to herself, and she didn't really want to answer. This was the problem with being a trained interrogator; it was hard to hide from her own motives. A mind trained to analyse couldn't let go of the fact that her heartbeat was just slightly elevated and there was a bit more of a sparkle to her eyes than a trip to a bedding store should have elicited. Strangely her memory flashed back to the morning day Agent Howard had surprised her at her old apartment with the news she was going to Haven to investigate a suspicious death. Agent Howard had commented on how sparsely decorated and furnished her apartment was and she'd joke that she spent the time she didn't take off, going furniture shopping with boyfriends she didn't have.

Boyfriends? Had she said, boyfriends? The term sounded so high school, maybe she'd said, dates, or men. Either way none of these words quite suited Nathan, Nathan was her partner, her co-worker, her peer (though with him acting as chief he did technically outranked her), yet… she had taken quite a while on her makeup, when normally she was more focused on coffee than mascara. She tried to tell herself this was just normal day off behaviour, it was only proper to want to look nice before running errands. But the thought, the implication, that maybe this was more than a friendly outing, tugged at the pit of her stomach.

"Wakey wakey, time to get out of bed Parker!" Nathan called as he didn't so much knock as bag on her door.

"I'm up, I'm up," Audrey defended as she opened the door, "why do you always act like city people can't get out of bed before 10am without your assistance?"

"I brought coffee just in case," Nathan offered.

"Thank you but do I look like I need coffee?" Audrey asked, hands on hips, eyebrows questioning, challenging.

The coffee hung mid-air in Nathan's outstretched hand as he replied, "Actually, no you don't," Nathan grinned, slightly wide eyed, she looked so fresh and neat, he couldn't help but notice the way her shirt and pants clung to every curve.

Audrey's stomach twisted as the slightly-too-long look registered. "Maybe I should change, is this a little too casual?"

"It's fine Parker," Nathan grinned. "You'd think you'd never been shopping before."

"To be honest, I really don't shop that much, I've never really had the need. No family to buy presents for, never lived anywhere long enough to need much stuff."

"Well maybe it's time you put down roots Parker, you're not planning on leaving us anytime soon are you?"

"Nah it looks like you're stuck with me," Audrey risked a half smirk but glanced away a little faster than was casual.

"Maybe I'll keep this," Nathan suggested taking a sip from the coffee he'd offered her which she'd still failed to take.

"Hey you said that was for me!" Audrey complained.

"You look plenty awake to me, looks like I might need it to keep up with you."

"Slowing down in your old age chief?"

"No chance, race you to the truck?" Nathan suggested playfully, abandoning the coffee on her coffee table and racing down the stairs.

Audrey grabbed her keys and chased after him, pausing only to lock the door quickly behind her, "Hey Wuornos, you're a cheat!" she called before giggling on her way down Duke's stairs.

At the bottom of the stairs she almost collided with Duke who was looking somewhat confused. "I heard running and though you'd turned my place of business into a crime scene again," Duke complained.

"Like everything was so above board before we came along," Nathan returned from his spot where he stood holding Audrey the passenger side door open for Audrey, gloating.

"Well you kids be careful and don't forget to be home before dinner," Duke teased.

"Yes Dad," Audrey replied with a mock salute before sliding into the blue truck and grinning at Nathan as she said "Technically I win, I got in first."

"That's because a gentleman never takes advantage of a lady," Nathan returned.

"Which is why gentleman never have any fun," Duke commented, his emphasis on the word gentleman and the waggle of his eyebrows suggesting he saw himself as an entirely different sort of man. Audrey laughed and Duke waved to them both before heading inside The Gull.

"He has a point," Audrey agreed, before realising what her answer might imply. Would Nathan think she wished he'd take advantage of her? Why did you even think of that? She chided herself silently.

"I can have fun," Nathan defended, and that schoolboy grin was there, his blue-green-grey eyes sparkling at the challenge.

This definitely felt different to their usual start of the day banter, there was a lighter more playful edge to it, but there was also something else, a slightly unguarded spark, as if they were both being just a little less careful… of what? Audrey wondered impulsively, but again, she wasn't sure she wanted to answer her own question.

**A/N: I had a very clear picture in my mind of Audrey getting ready for her non-date with Nathan and when I started writing it felt like there was a whole chapter there. I will still write the third chapter where they actually get to the shops (I have an odd need to write that scene!), I hope this wasn't too disappointing. **


	3. Chapter 3

**The Engagement**

It was a postcard New England summers day, a day when the idea that Haven was troubled seemed impossible. More than the usual number of Haveners were out doing their Saturday morning shopping so Nathan had to park the Bronco a fair way down the street from "Haven Beds," the local beds, mattresses and bedding store.

"I suppose it'd be cheaper to go into the city, but my father always believed in shopping locally, it keeps towns like Haven alive," Nathan explained.

"It's nice how everyone in Haven seems to do that, I've seen enough chain stores to last me a lifetime, Haven has character. That's what brings in the summer people isn't it?" Audrey smiled at herself using the locals term for tourists. She loved the sense of belonging she'd found in Haven.

"That and the troubles keep the rent down," Nathan smirked.

"If Dave and Vince were a bit more honest you think they'd scare them all off? What would happen to the town then?"

"Things would get tight around here but the troubled families would stay, they can't just pick up and move, people in other places would never understand, not that there's as much understanding around here as there used to be."

"I know things have been tense lately Nathan, but never forget how many people in this town care about you, you've touched so many of their lives, - and you remember their names," she added with a self-depreciating grin.

"Hey you're getting better Parker," Nathan smiled. "You haven't called Stan Stew in ages, you're going native. Next thing you know you'll be going out crabbing and painting your very own white picket fence."

"We'll see," Audrey smiled.

"This is nice," Nathan observed.

"The weather's beautiful isn't it?" Audrey agreed.

"No - you and me, this, just hanging out, and have you noticed, not a single cell phone call," Nathan pointed out with a slightly relieved tone.

"Hey, maybe it's broken," Audrey joked, but she did automatically check her phone was turned on.

"It's our day off Parker, relax."

"Who are you, and what have you done with Nathan Wuornos? You're a chameleon aren't you?" Audrey teased.

"Hey I can relax," Nathan defended.

"Like that time you got drunk and started dancing with every girl in The Gull?" Audrey raised an eyebrow.

"So, you noticed that. I thought you were busy with Chris."

"It was kind of hard to miss, I took pictures!" Audrey reminded him. "I kind of wondered if you had a few stories to tell after that but you never said a word."

"A gentleman never tells," Nathan teased. Then his face became more serious, picking up on the slight tension in Audrey's demeanour. "Truth is there was nothing to tell, I'm not really a casual kind of guy."

"That's nothing to be ashamed of Wuornos, the best guys usually are."

"What about Duke?"

"Duke was going through a phase, ok it was a long phase, but I've noticed, there hasn't been anyone since Evie, not as far as I can tell anyway. I think our little boy's growing up."

"About time," Nathan complained.

"Hey he had it pretty rough growing up. He's turned out well considering," Audrey defended.

"Sounds like someone else I know," Nathan returned giving Audrey a meaningful glance.

"Why thankyou Chief Wuornos I do think I've become a little more civilised since moving to Haven. I actually have food in my fridge now, mostly eggs and milk and a couple of apples but its food."

"You're a regular Martha Stewart," Nathan smiled. It didn't bother him in the least that Audrey was more interested in crime scenes than decoupage.

"Hey don't forget I'm doing you a favour Wuornos!"

"Yeah, about that, did I mention I hate shopping?" Nathan confessed but it was too late to back out now, they had reached the weathered wooden store front of "Haven Beds." Nathan opened the door for Audrey and the bell over the door chimed as he followed her inside. "Hey this looks like mine," Nathan commented pointing at an antique bed on display. The store clearly sold old and new furniture.

"Keep walking Wuornos, we're looking for a shiny new mattress, not something your Grandma could have slept on, something supportive…. Like this one," she sat down on the end of a king bed and lay back.

"Good morning," a slightly older than middle aged woman greeted them. "But you should really lie where you normally sleep not just at the end, to choose the right bed you have to imagine that you're at home, try laying the way you normally sleep to get a real feel for it."

"A feel for it," Audrey smiled, shooting an ironic look at Nathan, "We'll try, come on partner," she called as she snaked up the bed and lay down on the right side, her head on the pillow her body curved towards the spot where her alarm clock would have sat if she was at home.

Nathan hesitated uncertainly but the sales lady was looking at him with expectation so he gave in and slipped his shoes off and climbed onto the bed next to Audrey. He automatically mirrored her position, though he kept a little distance between them, the ten inches between their bodies still felt heated and awkward in the half-lit furniture store. Damn Haven and its old wiring, he thought to himself.

"How does that feel?" the sales lady prompted.

A lump formed in Nathan's throat, he really didn't want to answer.

"Great," Audrey replied warmly, and she rolled over and was suddenly inches from Nathan's face. There was an awkward moment where she could sense the tension between them and she fought conflicting impulses to either move closer to those deep blue eyes or skit quickly away to because the store lady was watching them, instead she broke the tension by giggled childishly. "What do you think Wuornos?"

"It seems, ah, fine," Nathan stumbled. "Really fine." But the way he stared into her eyes revealed the bed was the last thing on his mind. His mind was reeling with the sensation of Audrey's breath on his eyelashes, cheeks and lips. He could smell her s lightly floral perfume and the scent of her skin, which smelled like a combination of vanilla, soap and baby powder. Nathan grimaced slightly realising he that tight blue jeans and a fitted grey t-shirt was not perhaps the best outfit for this activity. His outfit hid nothing. If Audrey got up now and he had to follow suit… Damn, sometimes he felt like a man around her, a man his father would have been proud of, and other times she reduced him to a nervous teenage boy.

"So sweet, I always love serving newlyweds," the saleslady gushed.

Audrey bit back a laugh.

"We're not- " Nathan began quickly.

"Married yet," Audrey interrupted with a cheeky grin.

Nathan gave her a wide eyed look and mouthed, "What are you doing?"

Audrey sat up and smiled at the sales lady, "It's just with the wedding, we're not sure if we can afford this, but Nathan's getting a sore back from the one at his house and we don't live together."

"My, my, a gorgeous young couple engaged to be married and still living apart, lovely to hear in this day and age! Well we can't have the groom walking down the aisle crooked, let's see what we can do about getting you this bed, we always discount the display models so if you don't mind?" she raised an eyebrow suggestively.

"Oh I don't think Nathan would mid, do you?" She looked innocently at her "husband."

"I um, that would be great, but I need a queen not a king."

"Oh I always think the queen beds are so much more snug, perfect for a young couple, unless of course you're planning children very soon, then you want space for the little ones to snuggle between you on cold mornings," the lady smile warmly at them.

"She does make and interesting point," Audrey teased.

"A queen will be fine for now honey," Nathan replied with veiled sarcasm, shooting Audrey a look that could have killed.

"Whatever you say sweetheart," Audrey grinned.

Their banter had given Nathan a moment to recover himself and he was only slightly uncomfortable as he sat up and the sales lady escorted them to the sales desk. Audrey linked her arm into his saying, "I'm just so relieved we'll still be able to pay for the flowers, the flowers really make a church wedding."

Nathan shook his head slightly but played along, "Anything for you sweetheart," and grinned at his "wife." While his heart was thudding in his chest he felt complete walking intertwined with Audrey. He felt every inch of pressure against his arm and like a starving man enjoying Christmas dinner. He never wanted the rouse to stop. While they nutted out the details of the final cost, delivery and payment Audrey either held his hand or patted his arm and playing the role of the happy newlywed was effortless as an enormous grin broke out naturally on his face.

"While you're here would you like to register some linens? Lots of couples pick a few things out and leave their names with us so their guests know what to buy for them, just like in the big stores, everything we carry has at least a 500 threat count," the helpful lady offered.

"Audrey raised her eyebrows at Nathan, a pleading look in her eyes."

"Sure," Nathan conceded; he would agree to almost anything at this point he was so euphoric. "What do you think honey?" A big part of him was desperately wishing this wasn't all an act.

"Well I love that," Audrey gushed pointed at a quilt set, white linens decorated with black and silver embroidered filigrees.

"Really?" Nathan asked seriously, eyeing her.

"Yeah, I actually do," she smiled a hint of omission in her voice, as if she'd given away a little too much of herself. Audrey pulled away slightly, an old automated response to intimacy that Nathan was all too used to noting.

"It's gorgeous," Nathan agreed and looking at the sales lady he added, "actually could we take that with us now, I'll owe my finance a present, we might can still come back and register for towels and things some other time right?" he asked smoothly.

"Of course," the sales lady agreed, the dollar signs practically flashing in her eyes.

"Are you sure Nathan?" Audrey asked doubtfully and a little concerned. She hadn't meant to trap him into buying something he didn't need or want.

"You know how careful I am with money, it'd be nice to see a woman's touch in my house," Nathan smiled. The unshakable gaze he gave her was so calm, so confident, so Nathan, Audrey felt a flutter in her stomach and her breathing was suddenly slightly heavier than it should have been.

"I'll just bag that for you," the sales lady offered.

For a moment the two of them stood paralysed in front of the register, standing slightly apart, the contact between them briefly stopped several different comments on the tips of their tongues and neither of them able to say any of the things that flashed through their minds. "You've been an incredible help today," Nathan said finally, touching her shoulder gently.

"It was fun," Audrey smiled back, slightly awkward, oversensitive of the charged air between them. Then the lady returned and passed Nathan the bag. She reconfirmed the delivery time for the mattress, reminded them to come back to register any other goods they wanted and with a little more gush than necessary added, "Good luck with your wedding plans, I'm sure you'll both be so happy together, I can always tell which couples will last, it's sort of a talent of mine."

Slightly alarmed Audrey glanced at Nathan, her look said, _you don't think-? _He gave her a slight nod, imperceptible unless you were looking for it.

"Yes you'll be very happy together," the sales lady gushed one more time.

"Thank you," Nathan smiled and slipping his arm around Audrey's back turned his "wife" around and escorted her out of the shop.

"You don't think she's _troubled _do you? After what she said about her _gift_?" Audrey whispered, leaning close.

"Just an old lady who sees lots of couples, she probably says that to all her customers," Nathan reassured her, but part of him wondered hopefully… _what if she does have a talent? _"So thanks for that," he complained regretfully withdrawing his arm and instead poking her playfully in the side as they left the shop and settled into a comfortable step, side-by-side.

"Hey I saved you a mint," Audrey grinned. "You're not embarrassed to be pretend-engaged to be are you Wuornos?"

"My reputation will never recover," Nathan teased. "If word spreads there could be a panic among the womenfolk of Haven. There could be riots," he deadpanned.

"Yeah right, you wish," Audrey grinned and slapped his shoulder.

"Hey," Nathan complained. "Have you forgotten? I can feel that."

"Yeah I know and you deserved it," Audrey grinned. "You need me Wuornos, someone has to keep you in check." Nathan couldn't disagree.


End file.
